After having grown up with nothing but chows my entire life, I wanted a dog that could go beyond basic obedience. If any of you have owned chows you know they are fiercely loyal and protective of their families but none of the four I've had would do any advanced commands unless they saw a point in doing so.
My girlfriend already had a dog, Maggie(olde english bulldog), but she is not reserved or suspicious of anyone and rarely barks. The GSD breed combined the traits that I wanted in a dog, the aloofness, awareness of surrounding, imposing looks, and biddability. Tango is only 11 weeks old and the difference in speed of learning and executing commands is staggering. I'm a convert already.

I had never had a dog and I considered myself a cat person, that was until I volunteered at our local shelter. I went once a week and walked the dogs and then I got to play with them afterwards. I meet all kinds of mixed and purebred dogs during my time there and never got attached to any of them until I met Bear. Bear was mixed GSD and I fell immediately in love with him and I wanted to take him home. I had never had an instant connection to an animail until then. Unfortunately, I lived in a place that didn't allow dogs and my landlord would make an exception for me so I moved to a place that did.

After a researching the breed and finding a breeder in my area I brought home Miss Annie. It wasn't always easy especially during the bratty teenage years, but all of the training and socializing I did when she was young definately paid off as she matured.

Miss Annie is the most wonderful dog in the whole world and I love her so much. She is my constant companion and is too smart for my own good. She is getting up there in years and I dread the day when she is no longer by myside.

For several years as a teenager, I threw newspapers. The Fort Worth Star-telegram to be exact. And the Star-telegram was a morning and evening paper, so that included getting up a three o'clock every day and throwing my route before sun-up for many years.

At one point, I threw part of my route from a motorcycle, and there was one cul-de-sac on that part, and at the back of the circle was a big house, and at that house lived the first white GSD I'd ever seen, Max.

Max didn't like my motorcycle at all, and every morning he'd come running down the walk, barking and snarling, and I'd throw the paper over his head and haul ass. Then he'd chase me to the end of the cul-de-sac.

Max was one cool dog.

I could have complained to the owner but I never did. I think it got to be a game between us.

I was so taken with Max that somehow or another, I managed to talk my mother into letting me buy a white GSD of my own.

He was four months old when I bought him, and the guy I bought him from had already named him Deacon.

Well, Deacon is to this day a family legend. He managed to live from the time I was 15 until after I was married and both my kids had been born.

Deacon was 11 when we lost him. And I do mean lost. I had left him with a friend across town for a few days while we went out of town, and somehow he broke out of their yard...and we never saw him again.

But knowing Deacon, my wife and I have never since even considered being without a dog, and never considered there to be any breed but GSD. But I think since there's just no way there could ever be another Deacon, we've had since then just about every color but white.

When I was a little boy, my father took me to an airshow at Wiesbaden AB. I remember wandering over with him to watch the working dog demonstration, and from that day forward the German Shepherd Dog is the breed of dog I have always loved.

I never had one as a kid because my dad said (with his military duty) he did not have the time to spend with the dog, and I didn't have any experience with the breed.

I really wanted a smart dog that is protective, patient, and family oriented. Considering those four qualities, I think that nothing is better than a GSD.

My little puppy Cosette... even when she hears people walking on the other side of the wall... lets out a warning bark, and then she starts to patrol the backyard. When my niece and nephew come over, she let's them do pretty much anything, and even licks them in the process. She picks up almost any training within about 10 to 15 tries.

I grew up with my parents breeding and showing shelties. so i have always been around very obedient loyal protective dogs. but ever since the first time i saw rin tin tin, i fell in love with the looks of a GSD. i have a collection of gsd figurines that i have acquired throught my childhood. I got a pointer/coonhound mix for my 17th bday and after 13 years my sweet cleo passed away. I knew it was time to get the dog that i have been obsessed with my entire life. Jackson is 11 weeks old, is a handfull, but is already the love of my life. so smart and fearless already.

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